Salute to Margaret Heckler Set April 22

U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Margaret M. Heckler will be in the spotlight April 22 when the Americana Associates salutes her at its Americana Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel. The ambassador is a former Connecticut congresswoman and secretary of Health and Human Services.

The affair will have the meticulous attention of chairwoman Gloria Holden. Helena (Mrs. George P.) Shultz is honorary chairwoman, and the honorary committee includes Athalie Clarke, Barbara Bowie, Gordon and Ann Getty, Clement and Lynn Hirsch, former Atty. Gen. William French Smith and his wife, Jean, former Ambassador Walter Annenberg and his wife, Lee, Loretta Young and Gloria and Jimmy Stewart.

The Associates support the refurbishing of the State Department reception rooms in Washington, where chiefs of state and foreign ministers are entertained. The group was founded by Florence Malouf and co-founded by her sister, Marion Malouf.

CHILDHELP: “Football separates the men from the boys, and I am happy to be with the men tonight,” quipped June Haver MacMurray at the Childhelp USA/NFL Players Assn. “Starnight” Gala at the Century Plaza. Indeed, it took hefty muscles to hold the trophy--a weighty bronze rendition of a football player handing a football to a small boy.

But the winners were all up to it. Tom Flores, accompanied by his wife, Barbara, received the Career Achievement Award.

Winner of two world championships during his nine years as head coach of the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, Flores also stages a golf tournament each year for handicapped Boy Scouts, is on the board of the Starlight Foundation, and that afternoon had done a public service spot on Childhelp. The national nonprofit group fights child abuse and neglect.

Active Player Award went to Bob Golic, defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns. Said Golic in accepting: “You do things because you enjoy doing them. . . . The game itself has no redeeming social value; it is entertainment--training camp isn’t--but we have the opportunity to make it socially redeeming.”

Golic had close competition for the award from others--Dave Duerson (Chicago Bears), Don McNeal (Miami Dolphins) and Eric Sievers (San Diego Chargers), who all attended, and Rich Karlis (Denver Broncos), who couldn’t.

The Parents’ Award went to Stan K. Hamilton for his work with the Shepherd of the Streets program for poor and homeless people, a single parent with three sons. All three Hamilton sons played football for Penn State’s National Championship team in 1982 (two were Phi Beta Kappa) and one, Harry, plays for the New York Jets. Eleanor Coleman, whose husband, Greg, punts for the Minnesota Vikings, took the Wife of an Active Player Volunteer Award.

During the evening, Childhelp founders Sara O’Meara Sigholtz and Yvonne Fedderson and co-chairwomen Happy and Frances Franklin matched sports celebs with movie celebs--and there were dozens of the latter, including Connie Selleca, Richard Grant, Marilyn and Monty Hall (emcee), Monte and Joanne Hale, Tova and Ernie Borgnine, Cesar Romero with Sybil Brand, and Esther Williams.

The night raised more than $300,000 before Bob Abell conducted the live auction and Norm Crosby and Tony Orlando entertained. By 11:30, the take was close to $400,000.

TRIBUTE: Party chairman Jackie Banchik plans a glittering gala with dancing to Ron Rubin and entertainment by comedian David Brenner to honor Joyce E. Eisenberg on Saturday at the Beverly Hilton.

Michael Wayne will present the honoree with the John Wayne Cancer Clinic’s Odyssey Award at the Odyssey Award Dinner. We hear the party will have a high fashion, sleek black-and-white Art Deco theme to reflect Joyce’s involvement in the fashion industry (she owns the New Mart Building, which houses designers and firms such as Jessica McClintock, Leon Max and Esprit).

Donna Rosen, clinic auxiliary president, and Diane Feldman, Rosetta Cohen, Sharon Waller, Sherry Sexton and Joyce Green are on the planning team. Joyce will be honored for expanding the horizons of the Ben B. (her late husband) and Joyce E. Eisenberg Foundation for deprived youth, cancer research and treatment and care of the elderly.

PAST PERFECT: Tillie Collins’ and Dorothy Shea’s wonderful luncheon at Marcia Hayden’s San Marino home (with Sue Campoy’s fabulous cuisine), cooking up a Mayfield benefit. . . .

Long Beach Opera’s 10th anniversary dinner. . . .

John Strub and Los Amigos del Pueblo de Los Angeles’ reception (they invited children and pets) at Avila Adobe after the Olvera Street “The Blessing of the Animals” ritual. . . .

The Rainbow Guild’s French fashion show chaired by Karen Todman, Judy Felsenthal, Roberta Goldberg and Debra Finnerman.

SAVE THE DATES: For “The Heart of Hollywood” gala honoring Jimmy Stewart at the Beverly Hilton to benefit Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center May 11. . . .

For Pasadena Art Alliance, “Spring Spreeeee!” May 14. . . .

For Pacific Clinics, “An Evening at the Celebrity Polo Match” sponsored by the Big Apple Committee May 21.

WITH ZEST: Almost all the Costume Council Patrons (about 150) have said yes for afternoon tea to meet and hear Clive David, the international party architect, April 15 at the home of Carolyn and Henry Singleton.

Patron chairman Anne Johnson and council chairman Jackie Theis have set the tone with elegant pink and white invitations. Rita Barrett stages a small pre-tea luncheon at the Los Angeles Country Club. And Jean Smith, Lois Erburu, Virginia Oppenheimer, Mary Jones, Joni Smith, Caroline Ahmanson and Yvonne Lennart are key planners. David’s credits include President Kennedy’s birthday extravaganza at Madison Square Garden at which he was serenaded by Marilyn Monroe, and parties for Queen Elizabeth, John and Patricia Kluge and Barbara Walters and Merv Adelson.

UPSCALE: Nonagenarian Hal Roach, a founder of the Bel-Air Country Club, was at the past presidents and directors black-tie dinner dance (Kenny Sheldon’s swing and string orchestra performed big band ‘40s music), recalling when the country club frowned on membership from the entertainment industry. . . .

After returning from Anza Borrego Springs and a meeting of the trustees of the California State Parks Foundation, Los Angeles’ El Padrino John Bowles, together with Mary and Stuart Davis, spirited John’s wife, Norma, away to Michael’s Restaurant in Santa Monica for a surprise birthday with longtime chums--,eRuth and Tom Jones, Kate and Brooks Firestone (who described the wines served with dinner), Jo and Monty Fisher, Lucia and John Myers, Betty and Bob Strub, Pam and David Webber, Julieta and Lauro Neri, John Hessell, Topsy and Tim Doheny, Diane and Lee Swett.

SIGNIFICANT: Barbara Sinatra and Altovise Davis will be in the front row applauding their husbands, Frank and Sammy Jr., Sunday, when they and Peggy Lee perform at Sinatra VII, a benefit for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. We hear Patricia and John Kluge, Mary and Laurence Rockefeller, Ivana and Donald Trump, Revlon’s Ronald O. Perleman, John L. Tishman, John J. Phelan Jr. (chairman New York Stock Exchange) will attend the post-supper ball. . . .